Sometimes the most significant actions the Legislature takes are not passing laws, but choosing who is appointed to agency boards.
The Senate Education Committee rejected Gov. Tate Reeves' appointment, Carra Powell, to the State Board of Education. Carra Powell is an advocate for school choice, has children in Mississippi public schools and would have been a phenomenal asset to the state board. We are deeply disappointed in the committee's decision to reject her appointment.
This will be my final legislative update to all of you for the year as the 2023 Legislative Session is drawing to a close. I've enjoyed getting to write these emails, researching various policies and hearing feedback from many of you.
Here is what has been going on during this last week at the Capitol!
While many appropriations bills have already been passed by lawmakers, several large-spending bills still need to be discussed. Agencies have been advocating to legislators about what funds they will need to properly operate, and the legislature has to decide what to include and not include in the state budget.
In order to provide money for struggling rural hospitals in the state, the legislature passed SB 2372, which establishes the "Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant Program." The program will provide $103.7 million to hospitals that meet certain criteria to help prevent the closure of rural hospital systems.
After this past weekend's devastating tornadoes, disaster-relief dollars will more than likely be added to the state's budget. Both Senate Appropriations Chairman Briggs Hopson and Gov. Tate Reeves requested that approximately $5 million be allocated to relief efforts.
After the proposed ballot initiative measure died on the calendar last Thursday, the Senate is attempting to suspend legislative rules in order for the initiative to be brought up again.
SCR 572 would allow the legislature to revive SCR 533, the ballot initiative bill, and continue working on providing a process for direct democracy. It passed the Senate and has been transferred to the House.
The initiative process would require signatures of 12% of Mississippians who voted in the last presidential election in order for a referendum, but this bill excludes particular topics from being placed on the ballot, such as Medicaid expansion and abortion. If the House approves the suspension of rules, lawmakers have one final chance to work on this bill before session closes.
HB 1310 revises provisions related to the integrity of elections.
In an effort to clean up voter rolls, county offices will survey voters. If someone has not voted at least once during a four-year span, which will include a Presidential election, they will be placed on an inactive list and sent a letter asking if they still live at their current residence. Voters then have four years following that to respond before officially being taken off of the voter roll. Voters on the inactive list can still vote through affidavit ballots.
The Mississippi House passed HB 1315 on Monday, which restricts minors' access to pornographic materials. This bill ensures that children cannot access explicit material in schools and public libraries.
Although there may only be a few more days left of the session, several controversial bills are still undetermined.
HB 1020, or the "CCID bill," has been recommitted for further conference discussion, with a committee tasked with finding a compromise between the two chambers.
The conference report of the bill gives Capitol Police jurisdiction over the entire city of Jackson. It also provides for four temporary judges, three new assistant public defenders and two assistant district attorneys, all of which would be appointed by the Attorney General. The Capitol Complex Improvement District would have its own judge, which would be appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice.
The decision to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program is also still undetermined.
While HB 1369, a bill to increase funding for state education by $181 million, died on the calendar Monday, some officials are wanting to suspend the rules for this legislation in order to continue the discussion for education funding.
